The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors.
Some electrical systems utilize electrical connectors, such as header assemblies and receptacle assemblies, to interconnect two circuit boards, such as a motherboard and daughtercard. The electrical connectors include contacts having pins extending from a mounting end of the electrical connectors. The pins are through-hole mounted to the circuit board by loading the pins into plated vias in the circuit board. A pin spacer is typically provided that holds and positions the pins for press-fitting to the circuit board. The electrical connectors include electrical shielding extending along the signal contacts of the electrical connectors. However, conventional electrical connectors have a gap or space in the electrical shielding at the interface with the circuit board. For example, the shielding typically ends a distance above the top of the circuit board such that the shield does not interfere with or prevent full mounting of the electrical connector to the circuit board. The shielding may end at the bottom of the contact modules with a space being defined by the thickness of the pin spacer between the bottom of the shield and the top of the circuit board. The pins are largely unshielded in the space between the bottom of the contact modules and the top of the circuit board.
A need remains for a contact module having improved shielding, such as between the contact modules and the top of the circuit board.